Hootenanny celebrates urban farming

Anne Brown watched as a teetering toddler was mesmerized by the chicken coop at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture's urban farm at 1209 Smith St.

Brown already had enjoyed a meal of local beef and acorn squash, but the urban farm's barbecue chicken also was on the menu for the third-annual Harvest Hootenanny, a fundraiser for the local organization and celebration of a successful growing season.

A small army of volunteers helped to manage the event that drew around 1,000 people and no fewer than 75 bicycles to the 1.3-acre urban farm. Visitors had a chance to see the farm in action with dozens of herbs, vegetables, fruit and other produce — much of it still producing — along with working compost piles, healthy living exhibits, local vendors, and of course, the chickens.

It was Brown's first visit to the urban farm, although she has lived in Columbia for six years.

"I don't have a green thumb," she said. "I do good with lettuce, and that's about it."

From the small child fascinated by the chickens to other visitors such as Brown who were learning more about urban agriculture, the Harvest Hootenanny was meeting its purpose, said Adam Saunders, president of the center.

"We want to promote urban agriculture and gardening, and serve people a really great, Missouri meal," he said. The goal of the event was to encourage more people to get involved in the urban ag movement, whether on a community-wide level or by simply having a garden for individual or family use.

Jesse Higginbotham, an environmental specialist with the Department of Natural Resources, called the center "an awesome organization," and he was impressed by the amount of "great, local food" and the diverse array of visitors who were encouraged to make a donation of $5 to $20 to help offset the cost of the event.

Musician Lizzie Wright, with an acoustic Washburn guitar draped over her left shoulder, already had performed and was headed to her next gig at The Bridge at 1020 E. Walnut St. Wright, who writes her own style of folk music, offered a house concert, singing telegram or public performance as part of the event's silent auction.

"It has been really amazing," Wright said. "I really see this is where the city should be going to be more sustainable."

The silent and live auctions also offered edible landscaping, organic lawn care service, framed art and photography, canning jars, an irrigation kit and a range of books and hand tools dealing with some aspect of gardening.

In addition to sharing the farm's harvest, the event also had an abundance of off-beat elements. As a bright full moon began creeping above the horizon just after 7 p.m., a small group of people circled a woman dressed in a chicken costume.

"Someone in a chicken costume telling a joke about a panda," said David Townsend. "Where else are you going to find that?"

Townsend, clad in a tie-dye T-shirt, pointed out that he was born 42 years ago to the day, about six blocks east at Boone Hospital Center, and that he now lived just 1˝ blocks west of the urban farm.

"I've been lots of places" in my life, he said. "But this is the best place to be."